Out and About for Village Halls Week 2026

Village Halls Week returned in March, and the AirS Community Building Team made the most of it. With this year’s theme of Connection, Health and Well-being, we spent the week doing what we love best: getting out across Sussex to visit the halls and the people who make them what they are. From the Rother valleys in the east to the coastal plain around Chichester in the west, we covered a lot of ground across East and West Sussex and what we found along the way was both heart warming and inspiring.

Connection is what it’s all about
Walk into almost any village hall on any given weekday morning and you’ll find people gathered around tables, cups of tea in hand, chatting with friends old and new. It sounds simple, but for many people it’s the most important part of their week.

At Robertsbridge Village Hall, the weekly lunch club has been doing exactly that since 1989. Run by a local charity and so popular it now has a waiting list, it was a joy to sit in on.

At Sandham Memorial Hall, the coffee morning had a similarly devoted following. And at Ringmer, we visited on a Friendly Friday, one of a series of regular sessions specifically designed to bring people together and ease the kind of quiet isolation that can creep up. These sort of events that facilitate connection matter enormously, and the volunteers who show up every week to make them happen are doing something genuinely valuable.

Health and well-being, in all its forms
Village halls have always been places where people come to keep active, and that was very much on show throughout the week. At Thakeham Village Hall we spoke with the leader of a popular exercise class focused on keeping older residents moving.

A group at The Henfield Hall were creating beautiful Easter-themed door wreaths, while at Whatlington the local 1066 Quilts group and Stitchers Group at Sullington Parish Hall were happily working on their latest needlecraft projects – proof, if it were needed, that creativity and craft are just as good for your wellbeing as a spin class.

There was something particularly lovely about Dallington’s Coffee and Library Club, where a digital skills charity happened to be running a session on how to access the NHS app. Health, connection and learning all in one room, in a village hall on a weekday afternoon. That’s village halls doing what they do best.

Ringmer had its own take on the health theme, with a Kitchen Company programme helping people build confidence in the kitchen running alongside children’s sessions, library activities and, when we visited, a full theatrical takeover by the local dramatic society.

More than just a venue

At Eastergate, the local radio station V2 was broadcasting its breakfast show live from the hall’s very popular Nina’s Friendly Coffee Morning as part of Village Halls Week celebrations. The trust that runs both Eastergate and the neighbouring Barnham Community Hall has built something genuinely impressive, with a professional staff team, a packed programme and a creative approach to fundraising and sponsorship that other halls could learn a lot from.

At Henfield, the conversation turned to solar panels and sustainable energy. One of their trustees has become something of an expert on the subject and was generous with his knowledge.

And at Sandham, we heard how the hall and local Parish Council had worked together to prevent the village Post Office from disappearing. These are small examples, but important ones: village halls, at their best, aren’t just spaces to hire. They’re innovative and forward-looking, and active participants in keeping rural communities alive and thriving.

We only saw a fraction of it
As much ground as we covered, we were acutely aware that we were only catching a glimpse of what was happening across Sussex. Findon was holding a Spring Fete. Horam hosted a health and well-being event for families. Copsale opened its doors for an open afternoon. Ashington took a nostalgic Walk Down Memory Lane. Aldingbourne Community Centre and Five Ashes Down had a plethora of groups and classes to chose from.

That’s perhaps the most important thing to say about Village Halls Week: it’s a snapshot, not the full picture. The coffee mornings, lunch clubs, exercise classes, craft groups, language lessons, history talks, fetes and festivals, comedy, cinema and quiz nights, community events and support sessions that we celebrated this week aren’t just special occasions put on for Village Halls Week. They happen every week, in halls all across the county, mostly run by volunteers who ask for very little in return.

How AirS supports community buildings
The AirS Community Building Team works year-round to support village halls and community buildings across Sussex through our Community Buildings Advice Service. It’s a subscription service that gives halls access to the latest regulatory updates, model policies and fundraising guidance, as well as a Sussex Community Buildings Forum where halls can share experiences and seek advice from each other. We run regular training and networking sessions throughout the year, and an annual in-person conference that brings the community buildings together.

If you’re involved in running a community building in Sussex and would like to know more about how we can help, we’d love to hear from you. You can find out more about the service here or drop us an email at villagehalls@ruralsussex.org.uk

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